Judge sentences corruption figure to 41 months in prison

AKRON -- Mayfield Village resident Ron Romanini has been sentenced to 41 months in prison for his involvement in the Cuyahoga County corruption probe.

He had already pleaded guilty to some charges in October 2010 when he pleaded guilty to additional charges on March 15. In all, he pleaded guilty to paying eight bribes of up to $3,000 to former Cuyahoga County Auditor Frank Russo, as well as putting a roof on Russo's house in Mayfield Village and not having Russo pay full price.

In exchange, Russo engineered eight jobs for Romanini's relatives, including Romanini's brother-in-law, and close friends, and six of those jobs were in Russo's own office.

Romanini, 60, who founded the Mentor-based, family-owned Willoughby Supply, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge John Adams.

Prosecutors had only asked for up to 30 months in prison.

Adams said Romanini's crimes deserved a harsher sentence than the 2 to 2-and-a-half years suggested by the government.

Russo pleaded guilty last year to taking more than $1 million in bribes from various people. He has been sentenced to nearly 22 years in prison but remains free until at least June 30 while he testifies for the prosecution against other corruption probe defendants.